Slow Down and Appreciate this Simple 1976 Ford F-150

All-American classic is the perfect daily driver for the right pace of life.

We came across this Vicari Auction listing for this clean 1976 Ford F150 the other day and it got us thinking: This is the perfect truck. It’s orange with aged white graphics. The chrome wheels are closer to 15- or 16-inch instead of the 18-and-up range nowadays. The BFGoodrich all-terrain tires are just knobby enough that you’d feel confident taking it to the river to fish. The interior is simple, with manual windows and a basic stereo. It’s also not perfect: there’s a little chunk out of the rubber bumper strip on the front, a knob is missing from the dash and the silver accent paint on the dash is fading. In other words, a truck that you can use as a truck and not feel bad.

We live in the heartland of America, in an honest-to-goodness rural cowboy town. Here in rural Montana, there are more pickup trucks waiting to turn left on Main Street than Honda Civics in the whole county. That’s just how it is. While the four-door mega-cab seems to be the vehicle of choice, there are a fair number of classics running around. Now, this is the honest truth, there’s a handful of Chevy and Dodge pickups on the road. But it’s nothing to the number of old Fords. The “Old Body Style” F150s from the 90s are pretty common, but many people would be shocked to see how many 70s and 80s Fords are on the road.

The listing on the auction site was a little lean on the details, but it likely doesn’t make much difference. The engine, while we’re sure it’s not the straight-six, is probably in original condition. The dust and dirt point to the likelihood that the truck, while “garage kept since 1982”, has been used. And that’s a good thing because trucks (with some exceptions) aren’t investments, they’re for doing work and doing life.

What would you do with a truck like this? Join us in the forums and let us know what you think.